I'm going to park my good commuter as soon as the snow and salt come here in WI. What would make a good beater bike for winter? I have a very short commute (< 1/2 mi). Last year I rode an old hardware store 10spd that eventually rusted up the cogs and wouldn't shift. I'm going to visit the annual big charity sale tomorrow, and I saw a bunch of potential candidates out there.

I see my choices as:

- find old cruser bike - (best option, but rare find sometimes. Good tire choices available and coaster brake usually).
- mountain bike (knobby tires, upright position, but usually poor quality finds at things like this)
- road bike (can find good quality older bikes, narrow tires better in snow?)
- BMX bike? (single speed, lower to ground if dump it, coaster brake on some give good wet stopping, simple)

I thinking that maybe the best thing would be a mtn bike converted to SS or Fixie. Even a cheapie mtn bike would be reliable if I scrapped all the shifting stuff. The problem is braking if the road is wet.

Thoughts appreciated!

Pat

For short distances, a hub gear with a coaster brake is a good low maintenace option. If you dont need the gears, then a singlespeed, this doesnt have to be a fixed gear.
Personally I dont find wet braking to be a big problem. I just use my summer bike, a light touring style with 32mm tyres, caliper brakes and fenders.

I know this is changing the question, but I don't think there is a good bike for a messy winter commute of <1/2 mile. You will spend more time preparing for the ride and cleaning up after than you would if you just walked.

I use the same bike year round. I just put on 35 Nokian studded tires when it gets snowy or icy.

I generally switch to a MTB (Fulltime) in the winter and throw on some older components from last winter and put on some knobby tires.

I'm not sure what you mean by "preparing for the ride" You have to wear the same outer clothing whether you walk or ride. On a non-derailleur bike, the chain is less affected by rust and crud, and all you yave to do is hose it off every month or so. Just my experience.

Paul

Narrow tires can be a lot better in snow, especially in the city. They get through the snow and down to the asphalt without getting filled with ice. Big MTB style tires have a tendency to just pick up snow and become on big ice wheel.
I go with a fixed gear out here in Minneapolis - I imagine that it's probably pretty similar to your conditions in WI. Last year I hardly used my brake at all - in fact it was so rusted from never moving that when I finally did use it, it stuck shut. With a fix, you don't lock up the wheels when you're stopping. It's a lot more like downshifting in a car, so you have a lot more control...

I would reccomend a beater road bike converted to fixed gear. Just make sure to ride it some before the snow flies so that you can get used to it. And be careful - you may not want to get back on a freewheel bike come spring :)

Thanks to all! Yeah, I have a pretty short ride, but my main reason is that I get 30 mintues for lunch break and with the bike I can get home quick and enjoy it. Otherwise, I would just walk.

Well, I think I've got enough to build what I want. I picked up two bikes today at the big local charity sale - a weird Firestone bike that was made from several bikes, and a like new Murry 10spd. Both have fenders, and the Murry has a nice seat and mustache bars. I pulled out my Bridgestone Kabuki and like new Takara and put the all in a row in the back yard. Weird how I have accumulated all of these. All are 1978-1981 models. And two like brand new.

Anyway, here's my plan so far for the super winter bike. Most of it is just adding parts to my Takara, but here is what I'm thinking...

- Takara frame due to it being lugged, light, and good quality.
- Takara's 27" alloy rims for braking and rust resistance. Narrow to dig through snow.
- Takara's tires have an "all terrain" mini-knobby tread on them. Not ribbed. Would be perfect. Never seen any like this before, and are in great shape.
- Takara crank since alloy and not one-piece. Again, no rust.
- Fenders from Murray. Might be a challenge to get to fit since it was a 26" wheel bike.
- Seat from Murry. Very cushy.
- Bars / stem from Murry. Stem is crap steel type, but bars are comfy. Will use stem until I can get a real upright stem.
- Takara brakes. Shimano 500 alloy brakes seem good quality.

The only thing I'm not liking is that the Takara is a tall bike. I wish my Kabuki wasn't so small as it would be better, and has a cool frame.

Anyway, when I get it all together I'll let you guys know.

Thanks again,
Pat

I know it's too late, but check your old 10-speed bike. I think you could revive it fairly simply.

Overhaul bearings. Oil the chain until it moves, then put grease on it. Flush derailleurs clean with WD-40, then oil them.

If derailleurs don't work, remove the rear one, shorten the chain and set it as a single-speed bike on your favourite gear.

I've found that for short distances in the snow slush and ice, the best thing to ride is a twenty incher with a 3 speed hub. For some reason they handle beautifully. I've ridden a raleigh twenty (folding bike with sturmey-archer 3 speed) and an automini (same deal, not as nice). The automini became my under 7km winter bike because it handled so well, the hub isn't affected by the crud and salt, and I wasn't worried about it. Most of my winter rides are under 7kms. Anything longer than that and I would switch to my mtb or road bike, ridden with the same as in the summer. The little bike was too slow. But, the smaller wheels would carve in the snow and slush, accelerate and decelerate faster than larger wheels, which mean harder to spin out (like on road bike) accelerating and easier to slow down without breaking. The H frame design means no risk of crotch smashing and puts the weight of the bike really low. On conditions I'd be so slowly turning on my mtb or road bike I'd be just zipping through on the folder. The only problem was steel rims and braking, but a used alloy front bmx wheel would have been easy to come by, it i'd cared to. This bike I got from the trash and I only changed the brake pads and a brake cable.

perhaps a smart addition for a winter bike would be a stainless steel chain. $ spent, but no worries about rust. Pair of Ski goggles of course, and big ass mittens! Maybe a wider seat to support the added bulk of all the winter garb.

~Stv

I've been scouting around for a decent winter beater, and happened to find a cruiser in the trash yesterday. There's a bunch that needs to be replaced, but I'm okay with that. I want to turn it into a three speed (my 3 mile route to work is kind of hilly), and also dig up a chain guard. The fenders are beat to hell, should I try to beat them into a decent shape, or just replace them? It's also much heavier than the converted road bike I ride now. I know it'll make me less speedy, but would this be more stable in the snow and ice?

The only thing that helps stability in snow and ice is a set of winter tires, ideally Nokians. However, the cruiser probably has more relaxed geometry than your road bike, and this could be a great stability benefit on a windy day. Whether to replace or repair the fenders depends upon how much you want to spend, how good do you want it to look, and your how good are your metalworking skills.

Paul

I just picked up an old 6 spd cruiser at a yard sale that I'll use for my winter bike. I paid $12 cdn for it. I cleaned and greased the BB, the hubs and headset, replaced some parts with ones I already had laying around in my parts bin (brakes, tires, cables) and put fenders and a rack on. The fenders and rack came from Mountain Eqipment Co-Op - $21 fenders, $15 rack. So for less than $100 cdn I've got a winter beater that will get me throught the next several winters. A bonus is the hideously bright pink that the bike is painted. It's high visibilty and hopefully will repell bike thieves. The bike is a blast to ride and is something I don't have to worry leaving outside work.

When it's snowy, it's messy. Even with fenders, you can get all sorts of crud thrown at you that you don't face when walking, so you have to dress to keep that stuff off your good clothes. That might mean you have to wear one set of clothes for riding and then change when you get where you're going. And if you ride where there's road salt, you need to wipe down the chain more than once a month. In messy weather, you should wipe down your WHOLE bike after EVERY ride. That's a lot of work for 1/2 a mile.

Well, I have fenders and mudflaps. When it snows hard, I dust off most the snow at night when I reach home, then park the bike in a rubber boot tray. Water drops in there and eventually dries. Total cleaning time: 1 minute.

As for my clothes, it happened once last Winter. A truck driver was too nice and moved into the other lane to pass me. He hit a pothole full of water and splashed me. I have to admit I'm usually splashed 2-3 times per winter when I walk, so my cycling average is good.

Get an old Stingray and fit a fixed-wheel and fat knobby tyres.

i'v got a old Schwinn MTB frame, added road fork for 28" rims, old track hub and hey presto: Winter beater!